Parents of some students who died in the bus fire tragedy have tried to claim damages of 1.21 million baht each, even though they played no role in raising the children, the Attorney General’s Office said.

The provincial prosecutor’s office in Uthai Thani has contacted the families of the victims and found some things that are not right, said Kosolwat Inthuchanyong, head of the Rights Protection and Legal Assistance Bureau under the OAG.

Twenty students and three teachers were killed last Tuesday when their bus caught fire on Vibhavadi Rangsit Road in Pathum Thani, during a school excursion from Wat Khao Praya Sangkharam School in the province. Mr Kosolwat said corrective measures are being taken to help the parents of the dead and injured students and teachers who died in the bus inferno.

The compensation was distributed to affected families, according to a government-approved scheme, and prosecutors stood ready to help beneficiaries complete essential documents, he said. The agency would also ensure that the families of the dead and injured receive the full compensation they were entitled to.

However, Mr Kosolwat said problems have arisen as parents of some students have come forward to claim the compensation despite having played no role in raising the children. These parents had left the children in the care of grandparents or relatives from an early age.

Mr Kosolwat added that some children were being cared for by a single parent. The other parents have now disputed the right to compensation in whole or in part.

The National Anti-Corruption Commission is also investigating whether government officials were complicit in the alleged illegal installation of gas tanks in the buses of the company hired to take students and teachers on the excursion.

The Thailand Consumer Council has now come up with a proposal to raise standards for school excursions and public transport, which will be forwarded to the government this week.

Kongsak Chuenkrailas, deputy secretary of the transport and vehicles subcommittee under the council, said school excursions on Saturdays should be organized according to the specific ages of the students. During last week’s field trip, preschoolers and older students traveled together to the same attractions.

Forty-seat buses, or larger vehicles, must take out insurance that provides passengers with compensation of at least 30 million baht in case of accidents. Currently, transport bus companies are required to take out a policy for their buses with a minimum insured amount of 10 million baht. In addition, the council will ask the government to include emergency exercises in the school curriculum, which will be passed on as part of the scout training.

Deputy Education Minister Surasak Phancharoenworakul said on Saturday that the ministry will be the only party requesting donations for the bus victims and their families, to avoid scams and confusion. Health Minister Somsak Thepsutin said a young student with severe burns underwent a skin transplant at the Queen Sirikit National Institute of Child Health.